Clutch device.



V. DE MARMS.

CLUTCH DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1914.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

OuLUNnIA PLANOGBAPM C0..w\$HlNdTon, D.;

aisance.

V VICTOR DVE MARAIS, Ofi?, CHICO, CALIFORNIA.

cLurcn DEVICE.

To cZZfwtom tf/'nay concern.: ,f f 1 llc it known'that I, Vieron Dah/Linus, a citizen yof the United States, residing at Chico, in the county of Butte, and State of (laliiiornia, have invented new and i'iseful linproven'ients .in Clutch' Devices, `of which the following` is a speciication.

"'Wngines of" the' internal combustion vai', y by reason of their peculiar' inode of operation require the expenditure of energy to start them. This is usually effected by hand, through the instrumentality of a crank and such operation is hfazardousbecause oit the liability of such engines to start prematurely and cause the crank to rotate backward.

The present invention provides a clutch device which avoids injury to the operator in the event of the engine back-firing or turningbackward from any cause when throwing the saineover in the act of starting.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction and combination ot parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth. illustrated and claimed.

In the drawings hereto attached t-Figure l is a side view of a starting` crank proifided with safety means embodying the inrention. Fig'. 2 is a sectional View on the line www of Fig'. l. Fig; 3 is a sectional rien' on the line e/--vl/ of Fig. l showing` more clearly the ratchet mechanism for holding' the crank against backward rota.-V

tion. Y

i(orresponding;A and like parts are referred to in the following' description, and indicated in all the views of the drawings, by the same reference characters.

fie clutch device embodies a shaft member l. arm 2 and handle 3. A ratchet wheel il is secured to the shaft l and a dog' 5 mounted, upon the fraineof the machine or other suitable support is adaptedto coper iste with the teeth of the ratchet wheel el to prevent backward rotation of the cranl while at the same time admitting of such crank being; turned freely in a forward direction to start the engine.

il., half clutch or startingr jaw 6 is secured to a rotary member 7 which is loosely mounted upon the shaft l, such member being; in the 'form of a disk or drum and 'Formed with a plurality of recesses 8 and openings The recesses 8 are closed at vh isr straight, wl

specnicauon pf Leners rai-eat( Patented Sept. 25;,1915.

Application led July 17,1914. Serial No. 851,542.

their outer ends and open at their inner ends into the eye` which receives the shaft l. Therear wall 10 of each of the recesses creasthe liront wall ll is curved]V The recesses 8 have an approximate .radial arrangement. Dogs lQare located in the `recesses 8 and are pivoted atV their outer ends upon pins lBf The inner ends'of the dogs l2 are beveled upon their 'forward"corners so as to ride upon the inclined iaces of notches 14 formed in the sides vof the shaft l. The rear faces ot the notches lll are straight and are adapted to engage the rear straight faces of the dogs l.. When cranking' the engine the dogs l2 lie against the straight walls l `of the recesses` 8 and the straight faces of the notches lei. the dogs being heldin such position by yielding means fitted in theopenings 9.

The openings 9 have an approximate tangential arrangement and receive plungers l5, expansible helical springs 1G and adjusting screws 17. the latter being retained in the adjusted position by means of lock nuts 18. The plungers l bear against the forvard sides of the dogs l2 and normally hold such dogs against the straight sides or the recesses. The tension of the springs 16 may be regulated by means of the adjusting screws 17. Then cranking the engine the` shaft l is rotated in a clockwise direction, the dogs l2 being held in normal position by the actionof the springs 1G. Should the engine back-lire or tend to rotatebackward from any cause the member 7 being clutched to the shaft of the engine turns in an anticlockwise direction and the inner ends ort' the dogs l2 more forward and clear the notches 14 and ride upon the shaft l, such action being'V provided for by the yielding' of the springs 1G. the shaft l being; held from turning' backward by means of the ratchet wheel and dogg' 5.

F rom the foregoing' description, taken in connection with the accompanyinnr drawings. the advantages or' the construction and ot the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which. the invention appertains; and while I have described the principle of operation of theI invention. together with the device which l.

now consider to loe the best einl'iodiinent thereof. l desire to have it understood that the device .shown is merely illustrative, and thst such changes may be made when de wtersecting With the recesses about at a right 1 logzuflgle,k dogs pivotally lnounted in the re-v y n sired as are Within the scope ofthe invenadjacent one end, a rotary member havingr` radially disposed recesses and openings incesses andadapted to engagetheteeth of the. startingcrank, each of saidv dogs normally lying Substantiallyin a line With the axispf its pivot and they axis of the toothed 'Y portion `of the crank, each tooth formedin I Witnesses the'eranlr having one Wall arranged paral-y lel to one face of the. dog and the remaining Wall extending at right angles thereto plungers mounted in the openings, eX- pansible helical springs arranged in said openings LA and pressing the plungers forwardly, and adjusting screws threaded into the openings for,v adjusting the tension of` said spring. Y y

In testimony whereof I afliX my signaturein: preseneelof two'fwitnesse's. t

VICTOR .DE MARAIS.

LON BOND, S. D. SILLERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, I v yWashington, '.D. G. v 

